Cleopatra was 18 when she and her
10-year-old brother, Ptolemy, jointly ascended the throne of
Egypt. The family had a long history of internecine betrayal and
murder, so it was no surprise when the siblings, now married,
engaged in a fierce battle for supremacy.

At 21, Cleopatra found herself exiled in the desert, 200
miles from her palace, hopelessly trying to raise an army to
combat her brother’s 20,000 troops. Then came Julius Caesar in
48 B.C., summoning both rulers before him.

The wily queen eluded enemy soldiers, crossed a dangerous
frontier and had herself smuggled into the palace hidden in a
sack (probably not the carpet of legend).

By the time Ptolemy arrived, she and Caesar were getting
along very well. The young king was furious to discover he’d
been outwitted, burst into tears, and rushed into the crowded
streets, screaming “Betrayal!” Caesar’s men dragged him back
and placed him under house arrest.

It wasn’t long before Cleopatra found herself pregnant with
Caesar’s son and eventually occupied the throne until 30 B.C.,
by which time Ptolemy was long dead.